BackgroundMexican Americans are the largest minority group in the US and suffer disproportionate rates of diseases related to the lack of physical activity (PA). Since many of these Mexican Americans are Spanish-speaking, it is important to validate a Spanish language physical activity assessment tool that can be used in epidemiology as well as clinical practice. This study explored the utility of two Spanish translated physical activity questionnaires, the Stanford Brief Activity Survey (SBAS) and the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA), for use among Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans.MethodsThirty-four participants (13 M, 21 F; 37.6 ± 9.5 y) completed each of the two PA surveys twice, one week apart. During that week 31 participants also wore an ActiGraph GT1M accelerometer for 7 days to objectively measure PA. Minutes of moderate and vigorous PA (MVPA) were determined from the accelerometer data using Freedson and Matthews cut points.ResultsValidity, determined by Spearman correlation coefficients between questionnaire scores and minutes of ActiGraph measured MVPA were 0.38 and 0.45 for the SBAS and RAPA, respectively. Test-retest reliability was 0.61 for the SBAS and 0.65 for the RAPA. Sensitivity and specificity were 0.60 and 0.47 for the SBAS, and 0.73 and 0.75 for the RAPA. Participants who were classified as meeting the 2008 National Physical Activity Guidelines by the RAPA engaged in significantly (p < 0.05) more minutes of MVPA than those who were not, while there were no significant differences in minutes of MVPA classified by the SBAS.ConclusionsThe SBAS and the RAPA are both reasonably valid measures for quickly assessing PA and determining compliance to the PA guidelines in Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans. Although the two questionnaires had comparable reliability, the RAPA was better able to distinguish between those who met and did not meet National PA Guidelines.

In Mexican Americans, metabolic conditions, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM), are not necessarily associated with an increase in mortality; this is the so-called Hispanic paradox. In this cross-sectional analysis, we used a metabolomic analysis to look at the mechanisms behind the Hispanic paradox. To do this, we examined dietary intake and body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) in men and women and their effects on serum metabolomic fingerprints in 70 Mexican Americans (26 men, 44 women). Although having different BMI values, the participants had many similar anthropometric and biochemical parameters, such as systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol, which supported the paradox in these subjects. Plasma metabolomic phenotypes were measured using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A two-way ANOVA assessing sex, BMI, and the metabolome revealed 23 significant metabolites, such as 2-pyrrolidinone (p = 0.007), TMAO (p = 0.014), 2-aminoadipic acid (p = 0.019), and kynurenine (p = 0.032). Pathway and enrichment analyses discovered several significant metabolic pathways between men and women, including lysine degradation, tyrosine metabolism, and branch-chained amino acid (BCAA) degradation and biosynthesis. A log-transformed OPLS-DA model was employed and demonstrated a difference due to BMI in the metabolomes of both sexes. When stratified for caloric intake (<2200 kcal/d vs. >2200 kcal/d), a separate OPLS-DA model showed clear separation in men, while females remained relatively unchanged. After accounting for caloric intake and BMI status, the female metabolome showed substantial resistance to alteration. Therefore, we provide a better understanding of the Mexican-American metabolome, which may help demonstrate how this population—particularly women—possesses a longer life expectancy despite several comorbidities, and reveal the underlying mechanisms of the Hispanic paradox.

To identify dietary behaviors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among Mexican Americans, data on frequency of eating out, consumption of traditional Mexican foods, food group intake, and CVD risk factors were collected in 65 Mexican‐American adults (21 male, 44 female; age=37±10 y; BMI=28.6±5.6 kg/m2; total‐cholesterol [C]=184±40 mg/dL; LDLC= 115±33 mg/dL; HDL‐C=45±11 mg/dL; triglycerides [TG]=129±146 mg/dL). Restaurant dining frequency (11±10 times/month) was positively correlated with total‐C (r=0.250, p<0.05) and LDL‐C (r=0.270, p<0.05). Individuals eating out more frequently (>8.75 times/month) had 26% greater total‐C (205±40 mg/dL vs. 163±29 mg/dL; p<0.0001) and 31% greater LDL‐C (130±33 vs. 99±25; p<0.0001) than those with fewer restaurant visits. Frequency of traditional Mexican food intake (4±2 times/week) was correlated positively with TG (r=0.251, p<0.05) and negatively with HDL‐C (r=−0.252, p<0.05). Eating out and consuming traditional Mexican foods were inversely correlated with fruit intake (r=−0.249 and r=−0.254, respectively; p<0.05). Data suggest that choosing restaurant and/or traditional Mexican foods more frequently may increase CVD risk factors in Mexican Americans. This relationship and how Mexican Americans define ‘traditional Mexican food’ merit further investigation. Funded by Arizona State University.

To evaluate the association between components of metabolic syndrome (MS) and lipoprotein cholesterol (C) distribution in Mexican‐American adults, the distribution of C in LDL and HDL subfractions and the presence of MS were assessed in 72 healthy participants (25 male, 47 female; age=37±9 y; BMI=28.9±5.3 kg/m2; fasting glucose[FG]=94±14 mg/dL; total‐C=181±36 mg/dL; LDL‐C=115±31 mg/dL; HDL‐C=43±11 mg/dL; triglycerides [TG]=114±61 mg/dL). Participants with MS had smaller LDL particles (267±3Å vs. 271±3Å; p<0.0001) and 2.8 times more C in smaller LDL particles (p=0.001) than those without MS. The number of MS components was inversely correlated with LDL particle size (r=−0.322, p=0.006) and the percentage of HDL‐C in large HDL particles (r=−0.518, p<0.001), and positively correlated with the percentage of total‐C in small LDL particles (r=−0.298, p=0.011). Participants with TG>150mg/dL had smaller LDL particles (266±3Å vs. 271±2Å; p<0.001), less HDL‐C in large HDL particles (15±4% vs. 24±7%; p<0.001), and more HDL‐C in small HDL particles (29±6% vs. 20±7%; p<0.001) than those with normal TG. Participants with elevated waist circumference had 20% less HDL‐C in large HDL particles (20±5% vs. 24±8%; p=0.012). These data suggest that of the components of the MS, elevated TG may be a greater contributor to having a more atherogenic lipoprotein profile among Mexican Americans. Funded by Arizona State University.

To assess whether fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake is associated with adequate nutrient intake in 65 healthy Mexican Americans (22 M/43 F, age=37.3±9.7 y; BMI=28.6±5.3 kg/m2) dietary data were gathered using the Southwestern Food Frequency Questionnaire. Mean energy (E) intake was 2254±1075 kcal with 31±4% and 17±2% of E from fat and protein, respectively. Mean F/V intake (combined) was 5±3 servings/d. Participants who consumed at least 5 daily servings of F/V (n=26; 38%) consumed significantly more F/V (8.1±2.1 vs. 3.0±1.1; p<0.001) than those who did not meet daily recommended intake (DRI). They also consumed more fiber (2.1±0.8 g, p<0.01), vitamin A (1928±598 IU, p<0.01), and potassium (181±78 mg, p<0.05) per 1000 kcal. However, 65% and 31% of participants meeting F/V intake did not meet the DRI for fiber and vitamin A, respectively, and only 27% had adequate potassium intake. Moreover, 15%, 50%, 96%, and 35% of participants in this subgroup did not meet the DRIs of vitamins C, D and E, and calcium, respectively. In addition, 54% and 58% of respondents exceeded the DRI of saturated fat (10% E) and cholesterol (300 mg), respectively, and 81% exceeded the recommended upper limit for sodium (2300 mg). These data suggest that despite a purported adequate F/V intake among Mexican Americans, nutrient intake adequacy may be compromised by consumption of foods with low nutrient density. Funded by Arizona State University.